17 Things You Should Absolutely Never Utter When Ordering Steak
Ordering a steak might sound straightforward, but there’s actually a bit of skill involved in getting it just right.
Over the years, I’ve learned this the hard way through some unforgettable mistakes. One time, I asked for my ribeye “killed twice” instead of simply saying “well done,” earning myself some bewildered—and slightly horrified—looks from the staff.
That moment taught me the importance of using the right terminology when ordering steak. Whether you’re dining at an upscale steakhouse or a relaxed backyard grill, knowing how to express your preferences clearly can make all the difference in your meal. A little steak-savvy lingo goes a long way in getting what you truly want.
1. “Just burn it for me”
Chefs everywhere wince when these words float into the kitchen. I once uttered this phrase thinking it was a funny way to ask for well-done, and my server’s smile froze in place like he’d seen a ghost.
Professional chefs take immense pride in properly cooking meat. Asking them to “burn” a premium cut is essentially requesting they ruin their craft. If you prefer well-done steak, simply say so without the dramatic instructions.
The kitchen will respect your preference much more when you communicate clearly rather than asking them to commit culinary sacrilege with their carefully sourced beef.
2. “Make it bloody”
Crimson misconceptions abound! That red liquid pooling around your rare steak isn’t blood at all. I learned this embarrassing fact at a dinner with my future in-laws when I loudly requested a “bloody” steak and received an impromptu science lesson from their foodie son.
What you’re seeing is myoglobin, a protein that delivers oxygen to muscle cells. By the time meat reaches your plate, virtually all blood has been drained during processing.
Instead of asking for “bloody,” use proper cooking terminology: rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well, or well-done. Your server will appreciate your knowledge, and you’ll avoid perpetuating this common misunderstanding.
3. “I want it still mooing”
Attempting humor with this tired cliché might earn you eye-rolls instead of laughs. During my college years, I thought this phrase made me sound like a sophisticated carnivore. The unimpressed silence that followed still haunts me.
Besides being unoriginal, this expression can confuse international staff or those new to the industry who might take your request literally. It also suggests you don’t know proper cooking terminology, marking you as an amateur rather than a steak aficionado.
Simply order your steak rare or blue rare if you want minimal cooking. These standard terms communicate your preference clearly without the worn-out joke that servers have heard countless times.
4. “Can I get A1 sauce?”
Requesting steak sauce at an upscale steakhouse is like asking Picasso for crayons to touch up his painting. My first date with my wife nearly ended before it began when I automatically asked for A1 before even tasting my perfectly cooked ribeye.
Premium steakhouses age, season, and cook their meats to stand on their own merits. The chef has carefully crafted flavor profiles that steak sauce will completely overwhelm. Many establishments don’t even stock these condiments precisely because they consider them unnecessary.
At least try your steak first. If you still want sauce after a few bites, you’re free to ask, but be prepared for some subtle judgment from your server.
5. “What’s the cheapest steak you have?”
Penny-pinching has its place, but announcing it at a steakhouse puts both you and your server in an awkward position. I still cringe remembering when my uncle loudly asked this at my graduation dinner, causing our server to visibly squirm.
Instead, discreetly check menu prices beforehand or simply look at the right side of the menu where prices are listed. If budget is a concern, you can also phrase your question more tactfully: “Which cuts would you recommend in the moderate price range?”
This approach acknowledges your budget constraints while maintaining dignity and allowing the server to guide you toward good value options without highlighting cost as your only concern.
6. “Cook it however you want”
Abdicating your steak preference isn’t the casual, easy-going move you might think. Last summer, I tried this laid-back approach and received a medium-well steak when I secretly wanted medium-rare. I suffered in silence, too embarrassed to admit my passive ordering strategy had backfired.
Your preference matters because only you know how you enjoy your steak. Chefs aren’t mind readers, and the standard cooking temperature varies widely between restaurants.
Take responsibility for your dining experience by clearly stating how you’d like your steak prepared. If truly uncertain, ask your server for recommendations based on the cut you’re ordering, but still make the final decision yourself.
7. “I don’t care about the cut, just make it tender”
Steak cuts aren’t interchangeable parts! Each offers distinct flavor profiles, textures, and optimal cooking methods. My brother-in-law once made this statement, then complained about his tough steak—exactly what happens when you don’t specify what matters to you.
Ribeyes offer marbled richness but different tenderness than filet mignon’s buttery texture. Strip steaks provide balanced flavor with moderate tenderness, while flat iron steaks deliver surprising tenderness at lower price points.
Instead of this vague request, tell your server you’re looking for tenderness and ask which cuts they recommend. This starts a productive conversation about options that match your preferences while respecting the fundamental differences between cuts.
8. “I want it cooked exactly 4.5 minutes per side”
Micromanaging cooking times makes you that customer—the one servers warn each other about. My perfectionist father once pulled this move, complete with a timer on his phone, creating such kitchen tension you could cut it with a steak knife.
Professional kitchens don’t cook by arbitrary time intervals. They consider thickness, starting temperature, heat intensity, and desired doneness. A thin flank steak needs vastly different cooking time than a thick ribeye.
Trust the professionals who cook hundreds of steaks weekly. Instead of dictating minutes, clearly communicate your desired doneness and any preferences about charring or temperature. The kitchen will use their expertise to achieve your perfect steak without the unnecessary stopwatch pressure.
9. “Do you have ketchup for my steak?”
Ketchup on steak might be the culinary equivalent of wearing socks with sandals. My childhood habit of drowning everything in ketchup came to a mortifying end when I requested it at a high-end steakhouse for my 16th birthday. The silence that followed felt eternal.
This sweet, vinegary condiment completely overwhelms the complex flavors of quality beef. Premium steakhouses age their meats for weeks and cook them with precision specifically to showcase their natural flavors.
If you genuinely enjoy ketchup with your steak, consider keeping this preference for home cooking or casual restaurants. At finer establishments, try the chef’s recommended preparation first—you might discover why steak enthusiasts consider ketchup pairing sacrilege.
10. “Just a minute while I Google how to order steak”
Nothing screams steak amateur quite like pulling out your phone mid-order. I’ve been that person, frantically searching “medium vs medium-rare” while my server shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, pretending not to notice my desperation.
Do your homework before arriving if you’re uncertain about steak terminology. Most restaurant websites include their menu online, giving you plenty of time to research unfamiliar terms or cuts.
If you’re still unsure when ordering, simply ask your server for guidance. They’ll appreciate your straightforward questions much more than watching you scroll through search results. Most servers are happy to explain cooking temperatures or recommend preparations for specific cuts.
11. “I want it medium, but no pink at all”
Contradictory cooking instructions create kitchen confusion and virtually guarantee disappointment. My aunt regularly performs this ordering paradox, then inevitably sends her steak back, creating a cycle of frustration for everyone involved.
By definition, medium steak should have a warm pink center. Requesting medium with no pink is essentially asking for medium-well or well-done, but using terminology that will confuse both server and chef.
Learn basic steak doneness standards: rare (cool red center), medium-rare (warm red center), medium (warm pink center), medium-well (slightly pink center), and well-done (no pink). Order using these standard terms rather than creating hybrid definitions that set impossible expectations for your meal.
12. “Can you butterfly my filet mignon?”
Requesting butterfly preparation for premium thick cuts is like buying a Ferrari and immediately installing bicycle wheels. During my culinary awakening years, I made this rookie mistake with an expensive filet, not understanding I was essentially asking them to ruin what makes this cut special.
Butterflying—cutting the steak horizontally and opening it like a book—is primarily for ensuring even cooking in very thick cuts when ordered well-done. For premium tender cuts like filet mignon, this technique destroys the steak’s natural succulence and texture.
If you prefer well-done steak without butterflying, consider ordering naturally thinner cuts like flank or skirt steak. These cuts deliver excellent flavor even when cooked through without sacrificing their intended texture.
13. “I’ll have the filet, extra well-done”
Ordering the most expensive, tender cut on the menu and then requesting it cooked to leather is a steakhouse sin that makes chefs weep. My father-in-law insists on this combination, prompting visible winces from servers every single time.
Filet mignon’s claim to fame is its buttery tenderness and subtle flavor, qualities that progressively diminish the longer it cooks. When ordered well-done—let alone extra well-done—you’re paying premium prices for a cut whose distinguishing characteristics you’ve essentially asked to be removed.
If you genuinely prefer well-done steak, consider cuts with higher fat content like ribeye or those with more pronounced flavor like strip steak. These options retain more moisture and flavor when cooked thoroughly.
14. “I want my steak cooked medium-rare plus”
Creating imaginary cooking temperatures between standard doneness levels isn’t the sophisticated move you might think. I once proudly ordered a “medium-rare plus” steak, thinking I sounded like a connoisseur, only to catch my server rolling her eyes as she turned toward the kitchen.
While some high-end steakhouses might accommodate these between-temperature requests, they’re not universal standards. Your “medium-rare plus” might translate differently across restaurants, leading to inconsistent experiences.
Instead of inventing hybrid temperatures, decide whether you prefer the warmer red center of medium-rare or the pink center of medium. Choose the closest standard temperature and, if necessary, you can always request it “on the rarer side of medium” or similar phrasing.
15. “Is your steak fresh?”
Asking if steak is “fresh” reveals a fundamental misunderstanding about quality beef. My embarrassing education came during a business dinner when I asked this question, prompting a gentle but thorough explanation from our host about why my question made no sense.
Unlike fish, quality steaks aren’t served immediately after harvesting. Premium beef is typically aged—either dry or wet—for weeks or even months to develop flavor and tenderness. “Fresh” beef would actually be tough and relatively flavorless.
Instead of asking about freshness, inquire about aging processes, sourcing, or grading if you’re concerned about quality. These questions demonstrate knowledge about what actually matters in steak preparation and will yield more useful information.
16. “Can I get my T-bone cooked two different ways?”
Requesting split cooking methods for a single steak is the culinary equivalent of asking your barber to cut only half your hair. My cousin tried this stunt during a family dinner, requesting his T-bone medium-rare on the strip side and medium-well on the filet side.
Physics makes this request nearly impossible to execute properly. The T-bone is a single cut with two different muscle groups separated by bone. When exposed to heat, the entire piece cooks as one unit, making different doneness levels physically impractical.
If you truly want different cooking temperatures, order two separate cuts. Most steakhouses offer smaller portions or will accommodate split plates, allowing you to enjoy both preparations properly executed rather than attempting the impossible.
17. “Just wave it over the grill”
Attempting to sound like a carnivore connoisseur with this cliché phrase only marks you as a steak ordering novice. My college roommate used this line thinking it made him sound sophisticated about his rare steak preference. The server’s tight smile told a different story.
Professional kitchens have specific terminology for very rare steak: “blue rare” or simply “blue.” This preparation involves a quick sear while leaving the center cool and red. Using proper terminology ensures your steak is prepared correctly rather than leaving it to interpretation.
Additionally, truly raw beef requires specific handling and quality standards. If you genuinely want minimally cooked steak, use the correct terms and be prepared for the server to explain any health disclaimers their restaurant requires.